Monkey say, monkey do, right? Well, sooner rather than later those monkeys may be replaced by our smartphones. Does this sound like something straight out of a comic-book or summer blockbuster movie? You may be surprised to learn that even as we speak…our smart devices are listening.
On the market currently, Google’s latest smartphone, the Nexus 5, offers its “OK Google” feature, while Motorola’s Moto X provides their “Always Listening” software. With ever-advancing technologies, it is evident that future smartphones will boast even more advanced voice-recognition capabilities. These updates create a new domain for developers, who until now, were handicapped by hardware and software limitations.
Look Mom, No Hands!
Image Courtesy Of www.droid-life.com
In the near future, a user may command their mobile phone to “Call my dad and turn on the lights for me,” or insisting to Siri (iPhone’s voice recognition) that she “…Please backup all data on my mobile phone to my Google drive.” Of course, commands could also be even more productive, such as “Nexus: block all calls and messages from my crazy-ass ex; she is annoying me.”
Though this technology has been experimented with in various Desktop applications to some extent, other everyday devices like TVs and home appliances haven’t even scraped the surface of the potential that voice recognition has to offer. Desktops with more advanced hardware and greater processing power may soon become the first to implement this technology.
Like everything else, voice recognition is inhibited by some limitations. Without proper “Speech Synthesis” or “Natural Speech Recognition” systems to detect the device owner’s voice, anyone could gain control your phone or tablet, which is certainly a security risk. Privacy issues also arise when your device is always “listening” to the conversation. However, with significant developments in these fields, we can all hope for a safe and hands-free future.
Tony Stark’s JARVIS (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System), may not remain imaginative fantasy for much longer.